Method, system and apparatus for e-mail requisitioning

ABSTRACT

A method of and device for enabling the requisitioning of items over a network. The network is coupled to a server, thereby allowing communication between the server and a generating-user, a requisitioning-user and an initiating-user. The server generates a requisition template in response to input received from the generating-user. The server sends an initial e-mail message to the requisitioning-user&#39;s e-mail address in response to direction received from the initiating-user. The initial e-mail message includes the requisition template. The initial e-mail message is configured to result in the creation of a reply e-mail message in response to the requisitioning-user selecting to reply to the initial e-mail message from the e-mail application that is accessing the initial e-mail message, the reply e-mail message including the requisition template.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to co-pending U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. Nos. 60/920,889, 60/821,104, 60/921,152, 60/921,116,60/920,976, 60/921,218, 60/920,888, and 60/921,055, all of which werefiled on Mar. 30, 2007, and all of which are hereby incorporated byreference as if set forth herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of online orderingof goods and services, such as electronic procurement or any e-mailbased ordering system. More specifically, the present invention relatesto a system for and method of enabling the requisitioning of goods andservices directly through an e-mail system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “item” should beinterpreted to refer to a good or a service. E-procurement web sitesallow qualified and registered users to look for buyers or sellers ofdesired goods and services. However, such web sites inconvenientlyrequire a user to log in and select these items each time the user wantsto make an item requisition. What is needed in the art is a method ofand system for providing convenient and reliable item requisitioning.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Unlike the prior art, the present invention does not require a user tolog onto a web site every time he or she wants to requisition an item.Instead, requisition templates can be created by a user(generating-user) and maintained future use. The templates can bemaintained in a variety of different locations, including, but notlimited to, the user's local client machine (e.g., user's personalcomputer), the user's e-mail account (e.g., memory on the server of theuser's interne service provider allocated to the user), and an externalserver accessible to multiple users (e.g., server of the companyproviding the template creation program). These requisition templatesinclude a listing of selected items that a user (e.g., a companyemployee) can order, along with the capability to have the quantity ofeach item adjusted to reflect the desired amount. At an appropriatetime, such as when a user with sufficient authority wants to initiatethe requisitioning process, this user (initiating-user) prompts theserver to send an e-mail containing the requisition template to selectedusers (requisitioning-users). After receiving this initial e-mail, eachrequisitioning-user can simply open it and select the reply option inhis or her e-mail program, thereby creating a reply e-mail that containsthe requisition template in the body of the message. Therequisitioning-user can then adjust the quantity of each listed item toreflect the then currently desired amount of each good or service. Oncethe quantity levels are set, the requisitioning-user sends the replye-mail to the server for processing. In this respect, the presentinvention enables the requisitioning-user to requisition items withoutlogging into the server.

Upon receiving and reading the reply e-mail, the server can send aconfirmation e-mail to the requisitioning-user to inform him or her thatthe request has been successfully received and/or processed.Additionally, the server can send an error notification e-mail if theserver was unsuccessful in processing the reply e-mail. The server canalso determine whether or not approval is necessary for the itemrequest. This determination can be based on a single factor or acombination of factors, including, but not limited to, the authoritylevel of the requisitioning-user, the type of item, an individual itemprice, an individual item quantity, the total price of items, and thetotal quantity of items. If approval is not necessary, then the servercan send a purchase order to the supplier. However, if approval isnecessary, the server initiates an approval process, sending an e-mailto the appropriate users (approving-users), such as a departmentmanager, requesting approval of the requisition. Once each of theseapproving-users approves the item request, the order can go to thesupplier. However, if one of these approving-users denies the itemrequest, the server prevents the order from going through and preferablyinforms the requesting user of the requisition rejection.

When processing the reply e-mail, the system can apply a set ofintelligent defaults based on its identification of therequisitioning-user and the requested items in the template. Suchdefaults can include, but are not limited to, commodity information ofthe items, suppliers of the items, shipping address of the user, and thebilling account information of the user. These defaults can be used inany of the system operations discussed in this disclosure, such as thedetermination and execution of approval processes and the generation ofpurchase orders.

In processing the reply e-mail, the server can also provide a failurenotice to the requesting-user if the system determines that any of therequested items are not available for purchase. It is contemplated thatthe system can consider a variety of factors in determining theavailability of a requested item.

A single user is not necessarily limited to one role. Rather, he or shecan be recognized by the server to perform the functions of severalroles. For example, the same user can be a generating-user that createsa template, an initiating-user that directs the server to send aninitial e-mail with a template, a requisitioning-user that receives andreplies to an initial e-mail, and an approving-user that approves orrejects another requisitioning-user's requisition. Therefore, the claimsof the present invention should be interpreted to include thepossibility of a single user performing any combination of these roles,unless claimed otherwise.

It is contemplated that the present invention can be implemented in avariety of ways and that certain steps detailed in this disclosure canbe omitted or repeated based on the particulars of a given application.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a method of enabling therequisitioning of items over a network is disclosed. The network iscoupled to a server, thereby allowing communication between the serverand a generating-user, a requisitioning-user and an initiating-user. Themethod comprises the steps of: the server generating a requisitiontemplate in response to input received from the generating-user, and theserver sending an initial e-mail message to the requisitioning-user'se-mail address in response to direction received from theinitiating-user. The initial e-mail message includes the requisitiontemplate and is configured to result in the creation of a reply e-mailmessage in response to the requisitioning-user selecting to reply to theinitial e-mail message from the e-mail application that is accessing theinitial e-mail message. The reply e-mail message includes therequisition template.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a method of enabling therequisitioning of items over a network is disclosed. The network iscoupled to a server, thereby allowing communication between the serverand a generating-user, a requisitioning-user and an initiating-user. Themethod comprises the steps of: the server generating a requisitiontemplate in response to input received from the generating-user, and theserver sending an initial e-mail message to the requisitioning-user'se-mail address in response to direction received from theinitiating-user. The initial e-mail message includes the requisitiontemplate. The requisitioning-user receives the initial e-mail message atthe requisitioning-user's e-mail address, and then accesses the initiale-mail message using an e-mail application. The requisitioning-userselects to reply to the initial e-mail message from the e-mailapplication, and the e-mail application creates a reply e-mail messagein response to the requisitioning-users selection to reply. The replye-mail message includes the requisition template.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a program storagedevice readable by a machine, tangibly embodies a program ofinstructions executable by the machine to perform a method for enablingthe requisitioning of items over a network. The network is coupled tothe machine, thereby allowing communication between the machine and agenerating-user, a requisitioning-user and an initiating-user. Themethod comprises: the machine generating a requisition template inresponse to input received from the generating-user, and the machinesending an initial e-mail message to the requisitioning-user's e-mailaddress in response to direction received from the initiating-user. Theinitial e-mail message includes the requisition template and isconfigured to result in the creation of a reply e-mail message inresponse to the requisitioning-user selecting to reply to the initiale-mail message from the e-mail application that is accessing the initiale-mail message. The reply e-mail message includes the requisitiontemplate.

For each of these embodiments, users can share requisition templates bysending them to one another. For example, after receiving the initiale-mail message that includes the requisition template, a user can sendthe template to another user via e-mail, such as by simply forwardingthe initial e-mail message to the other user. This other user can thenbecome a requisitioning-user simply by selecting to reply to the initiale-mail message using his or her e-mail application.

Additionally, for each of these embodiments, the requisition templatepreferably comprises one or more indicium. Each indicium is configuredto represent an item that can be requisitioned by therequisitioning-user and has its own associated quantity field. The inputreceived by the server from the generating-user to generate therequisition template is a selection of the one or more indicium to beincluded in the requisition template.

In a preferred embodiment, the quantity field represents the quantity ofthe associated item that is desired by the requisitioning-user. Thequantity field is configured to be set to a desired value by therequisitioning-user. This desired value can be different from theoriginal value of the quantity field at the time the initial e-mailmessage was received by the requesting-user. The requisition template inthe reply e-mail message is configured to include the desired value inthe quantity field. Preferably, the quantity field is configured to beset to a desired value by the requisitioning-user while the requisitiontemplate is in the body of the reply e-mail message.

The requisition template can include a code and item name for each itemin order to ensure that the server can properly associate each requesteditem on the requisition template with the corresponding item stored onthe system server.

In a preferred embodiment, the server receives the reply e-mail messagefrom the requisitioning-user's e-mail address. The server then processesthe reply e-mail message to determine the identity and the quantity ofany items desired by the requisitioning-user based on a reading of theassociated quantity fields in the requisition template of the replye-mail message. The server determines the requisitioning-user's e-mailaddress from which the reply e-mail message was sent and associates therequisitioning-user's e-mail address with the identity and the quantityof any items desired by the requisitioning-user. As mentioned above, inprocessing the reply e-mail message, the system can apply a set ofintelligent defaults based on its identification of therequisitioning-user and the requested items in the template. Suchdefaults can include, but are not limited to, commodity information ofthe items, suppliers of the items, shipping address of the user, and thebilling account information of the user. These defaults can be used inany of the system operations discussed in this disclosure, such as thedetermination and execution of approval processes and the generation ofpurchase orders.

The server can send a confirmation e-mail message to therequisitioning-user's e-mail address in response to receiving the replye-mail message from the requisitioning-user. The confirmation e-mailmessage contains information indicating the identity and the quantity ofany items desired by the requisitioning-user based on the reading of theassociated quantity fields in the requisition template of the replye-mail message.

The server can also determine whether it is necessary to perform anapproval process based on at least one of the group consisting of therequisitioning-user's e-mail address, the identity of any items desiredby the requisitioning-user, the quantity of any items desired by therequisitioning-user, and any of the intelligent defaults that areautomatically applied as discussed above. If the server determines thatit is necessary, then the server performs the approval process.Preferably, the approval process comprises the server sending anapproval-request e-mail message through the network to anapproving-user's e-mail address. The approval-request e-mail messageprovides notification of the identity and the quantity of an itemdesired by the requisitioning-user and requests approval for theordering of the quantity of the item. The server eventually receives anapproval-decision from the approving-user(s). The approval process canfurther comprise the server sending a rejection notification message tothe requisitioning-user's e-mail address if the approval-decisionreceived from the approving-user is a rejection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary client-server environment in which thee-mail requisitioning system of the present invention operates.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for incorporatingthe performance of administrative operations into the system of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for enabling therequisitioning of items directly through an e-mail system in accordancewith the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a server sending aninitial e-mail containing a requisition template to a user in accordancewith the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 4B illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the user sending a replye-mail containing the requisition template to the server in accordancewith the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 5A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the requisition templateincluded in the initial e-mail to the user in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention.

FIG. 5B illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the requisition templateincluded in the reply e-mail to the server in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary embodiment ofincorporating an approval process into the e-mail requisitioning systemof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skillin the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the contextof a patent application and its requirements. Various modifications tothe described embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art and the generic principles herein may be applied to otherembodiments. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limitedto the embodiment shown but is to be accorded the widest scopeconsistent with the principles and features described herein.

In a preferred embodiment, the steps of the present invention areembodied in machine-executable instructions. These instructions can beused to cause a general-purpose or special-purpose processor that isprogrammed with the instructions to perform the steps of the presentinvention. Alternatively, the steps of the present invention can beperformed by specific hardware components that contain hardwired logicfor performing the steps, or by any combination of programmed computercomponents and custom hardware components.

The present invention can be provided as a computer program product thatcan include a machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructionsthat may be used to program a computer (or other electronic devices) toperform a process according to the present invention. Themachine-readable medium can include, but is not limited to, floppydiskettes, optical disks, CD-ROMs, ROMs, RAMs, magnet or optical cards,or other type of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storingelectronic instructions.

Various aspects of the disclosure can be described through the use offlowcharts. Often, a single instance of an aspect of the presentdisclosure can be shown. As is appreciated by those of ordinary skill inthe art, however, the protocols, processes, and procedures describedherein may be repeated continuously or as often as necessary to satisfythe needs described herein. Accordingly, the representation of variousaspects of the present disclosure through the use of flowcharts shouldnot be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary client-server environment 100, such asthe World Wide Web, in which the e-mail requisitioning system of thepresent invention operates. The architecture of this environment canfollow a conventional client-server model. Users 102 use client machines108 to communicate with a server 104 through a network 106, such as theInternet. The client-server model is typically used to communicateinformation between client machines 108 and the server 104. Clientmachines 108 can be any type of computer having e-mail capabilities,including, but not limited to desktops, laptops, and hand-held computingdevices. The server 104 can be any type of server configured to storeand operate a web-based application. In a preferred embodiment, thee-mail requisition program of the present invention is a web-basedapplication stored on the server 104. Users 102 can access the programthrough any client computer 108 that is coupled to the network 106.However, it is contemplated that the program can be stored, operated andaccessed using a variety of other means as well.

Although the present invention can be applied to a variety of real worldenvironments, it is ideally suited for organizations that want tofacilitate the requisitioning of items by their members. For example, acompany can use the present invention to enable certain employees torequisition items simply by using their e-mail program. In thisscenario, these employees would be considered the users 102. Each ofthese users 102 is registered in the program on the server 104.Preferably, the server 104 stores information about the users 102. Suchinformation can include, but is not limited to, the user's name (or someother form of identification, such as an ID number), the user's e-mailaddress, and information about the user's authority level (i.e., statusinformation that can be used to determine under what situations a userwill need approval for a requisition). As will be discussed in furtherdetail below, the user's e-mail address is used by the server 104 toidentify the user 102 to whom an e-mail is being sent or from whom ane-mail is being received. In this fashion, it is not required that eachuser 102 communicate with the server 104 using his or her own distinctcomputer 108. Instead, multiple users 102 can use the same computer 108to communicate with the server 104, as the server 104 is configured todistinguish each user 102 based on his or her e-mail address rather thanthe computer's IP address. For example, in FIG. 1, the user 102-1communicates with server 104 using computing machine 108-1 and the user102-2 communicates with server 104 using computing machine 108-2.However, the user 102-3 and the user 102-4 both communicate with server104 using the computing machine 108-3. Even though both of the users102-3 and 102-4 use the same computing machine 108-3, theircommunications are directed through separate e-mail addresses so thatthe server 104 is able to distinguish between the two.

Setup and maintenance of the user database and other aspects of theserver 104 can be restricted to one or more system administrators. Inthis case, the system administrator is responsible for adding anemployee as a user to the server, removing a user, and modifying auser's profile (such as, changing the user's e-mail address or authoritylevel). In a preferred embodiment, access to the server for performingsuch actions can be restricted to only a system administrator byrequiring that the system administrator log onto the server using aconfidential password. In some embodiments, a user can be grantedlimited access to perform certain creation or maintenance operations.For example, an ordinary user can use a password to log onto the serverand change his or her own e-mail address. However, the ordinary user'saccess can be limited to performing only certain operations. Preferably,the ordinary user would not be able to change his or her own authoritylevel or modify another user's profile.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method 200 ofincorporating the performance of administrative operations into therequisitioning system of the present invention. At a step 202, theserver is storing records of the users and their associated userinformation (such as e-mail address and authority level). Theaccessibility of a user's record(s) can be restricted to those that havethe required authority level. As mentioned above, one user preferablycannot access another user's records. Additionally, a user can belimited to accessing his or her record(s) for only certain purposes. Forexample, a user can be allowed to access his record to change his e-mailaddress, while at the same time being prevented from changing his ownauthority level.

At a step 204, a user logs into the system application on the server toperform one or more administrative operations. At a step 206, the userprompts the server to perform an administrative operation. Suchprompting can include, but is not limited to, the user making certainselections in a web browser, or in some other way providing commands tothe system application.

Preferably, prior to perform the administrative operation, the serververifies that the user has the requisite authority to perform theparticular operation. As discussed above, certain operations can requirea different level of authority than others. For example, removing a userfrom the server can require a higher authority level than a user simplychanging his or her own e-mail address. However, the restrictions onperforming certain operations can vary for each application of thepresent invention. At a step 208, the server determines whether or notthe user has sufficient authority to perform the operation. Thisdetermination can be based on the user's profile and the requirements ofthe particular operation.

If the server determines that the user does have sufficient authority,then at a step 210 it proceeds with performing the operation. If theserver determines that the user does not have sufficient authority, thenat step 212 it does not perform the operation. Preferably, the servernotifies the user that the operation can be performed A variety ofadministrative operations can be performed by an appropriate user. In apreferred embodiment, depending on the particular user, he or she canperform operations that affect user records on the server. It iscontemplated that any single operation or combination of operations canbe performed during the maintenance of the requisition system.

A user with appropriate authority can create a requisition template,which can be maintained in a storage location, such as the user's localclient machine, the user's e-mail account, and an external serveraccessible to multiple users. Creating a template can involve the userbrowsing through a web site and selecting items to be placed in thetemplate for potential requisitioning. Upon receiving this form, or someother form, of requisition creation input from the user, the servergenerates the requisition template and sends it to the appropriateuser(s), as will be discussed below with respect to FIG. 3.

In an optional embodiment, the server can associate a template with ameans for identification, such as a template name or ID, in order tofacilitate the future identification and selection of the template. Forexample, a template created for the requisitioning of items for thesales department can be labeled “Sales.” Such identification can beparticularly useful in an embodiment where the template is stored on aserver that allows multiple users to access to a database of templateson the server. Upon creation of the template, the server can alsodetermine a minimum level of authority that is required for removing thetemplate. Additionally or alternatively, the server may determine aparticular user or subset of users that has the authority for removingthe template. In such an embodiment, the user that creates the templatewill preferably have the requisite authority to perform such anoperation.

A user with appropriate authority can also add a user to the server. Theauthority level and capabilities of this added user are preferablydetermined upon creation. Preferably, the server associates the addeduser with certain information that can be used to determine whatoperations he or she can perform (e.g., authority level) and how toperform them (e.g., e-mail address).

A user with appropriate authority can additionally remove a user fromthe server. The removed user no longer has the ability to perform any ofthe operations he or she was previously capable of performing.

A user with appropriate authority can also update a user's associatedinformation. For example, if an employee in the sales department gets anew e-mail address, an administrative user can update this employeesrecord on the server to reflect this change. Furthermore, anadministrative user can wish to change the authority level of theemployee, either giving that employee the ability to perform more orless system operations.

Once the operation is performed or denied, it is determined at a step214 whether or not the user wants to perform any additionaladministrative operations. If the user does want to perform anadditional operation, he or she once again makes the necessary promptingto the server back at a step 206. If the administrative user does notwant to perform an additional operation, the system can proceed with therequisitioning of one or more items using an e-mail system at a step216. It is contemplated that although FIG. 2 shows administrativeoperations being performed prior to the requisitioning of items, noadministrative operation is required in order for the requisitioning tobe performed, so long as the server is storing at least one user and thenecessary user information.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method 300 of enablingthe requisitioning of items directly through an e-mail system inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

At step 302, the server generates a requisition template in response toinput received from a user. As discussed above, such input can include,but is not limited to, item selections made by the user while browsingthrough a web site.

At a step 304, the server sends an initial message to arequisitioning-user. In a preferred embodiment, the initial messageincludes a requisition template. This initial message is preferablyprompted by an initiating-user. As discussed above, this initiating-usercan be the same as the user that generated the requisition templateand/or the requisitioning-user. For example, it is possible for the sameuser to create a template and prompt the server to send the initialmessage with the requisition template to himself or herself. Theinitiating-user may be required to log into the system before promptingthe server to send the initial message.

At a step 306, the requisitioning-user receives the initial message andopens it using an appropriate e-mail application. FIG. 4A illustrates anexemplary embodiment of a server 404 sending an initial e-mail 410containing a requisition template to a requisitioning-user 402 inaccordance with the principles of the present invention. As shown, thee-mail 410 is actually transmitted to the requisitioning-user's e-mailaddress 412, where it can be viewed by the requisitioning-user 402accessing his or her e-mail account using an e-mail application on acomputer 408.

At a step 308, the requisitioning-user 402 selects a reply option in thee-mail application in order to create a reply message. For example, therequisitioning-user 402 can simply click the reply button in the e-mailprogram menu bar, select reply from the drop-down menu, or click a replylink (such as an image or highlighted text) in the body of the initialmessage 410. The initial message 410 is configured such that theselection of this reply option creates a reply message that contains therequisition template, preferably in the body of the reply message. Thereply message is automatically addressed to a specific e-mail addressthat is accessible to the server.

FIG. 5A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the requisition template500A included in the initial e-mail to the user in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention. Template 500A comprises an itemimage field 502, an item description field 504, an item price field 506,and an item quantity field 508. The image field 502 displays an image ofthe appropriate item. The different patterns 502-1, 502-2, 502-3, and502-4 are used to represent the different images for the different items(Mouse Pad, Ink Cartridge, USB Device Cable, and Self-Stick Notes). Thedescription field 504 displays the item name, and can include additionaldetails about the item such as size, quantity and color. The price field506 displays the corresponding price for each item. Finally, thequantity field 508 displays how many units of each item are beingrequisitioned. In a preferred embodiment, the quantity field 508 foreach item is initially set at zero. In this situation, if therequisitioning-user wants to requisition an item, he or she enters thedesired quantity. However, it is contemplated that the template can beconfigured to have the quantity of certain items initially set at anumber greater than zero in order to reflect the requisitioning-user'spast requisitions and/or anticipate the requisitioning-user's futureneeds.

At step a 310, the requisitioning-user can set the quantity of items tothe desired amount for each item in the requisition template in thereply message. In this respect, the requisition template is adjustable.If the template initially reflects the requisitioning-user's needs asmentioned above, then this step is not required, since the quantityfield is already set at the correct amount. FIG. 5B illustrates anexemplary embodiment of the requisition template 500B included in thereply e-mail to the server in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention. Whereas the initial template 500A had the quantityfields all set to zero, the template 500B reflects the adjustments madeby the requisitioning-user to set the item quantities at differentamounts. The initial template 500A had the quantities for the Mouse Pad,the Ink Cartridge, the USB Device Cable, and the Self-Stick Notes allset to zero. The adjusted template 500B shows the quantities having beenset by the requisitioning-user to one for the Mouse Pad, four for theInk Cartridge, zero for the USB Device Cable, and two for the Self-StickNotes.

It is contemplated that the form and function of the requisitiontemplate within the initial e-mail and the reply e-mail can beconfigured in a variety of different embodiments within the scope of thepresent invention. Ultimately, the present invention preferably allowsthe template to be both viewable and adjustable in at least one of theinitial e-mail or the reply e-mail, and that the requisitioning-user caninclude this template in a reply e-mail simply by selecting a replyoption. The exact period in which the template can be viewed or adjustedcan vary from embodiment to embodiment. For example, in one embodiment,the requisition template can be included in the initial e-mail as anattachment, yet not be viewable in the e-mail body. In this embodiment,the template becomes viewable and adjustable in the reply e-mail. Inanother embodiment, the template is not be viewable and/or adjustable inthe reply e-mail. Instead, the requisitioning-user views the templateupon receipt of the initial e-mail, sets the item quantities as desiredin the template of the initial e-mail, then selects the reply option,which takes the set template and includes it in the reply e-mail. Inaddition to these examples, several other embodiments are within thescope of the present invention as well.

Furthermore, upon receipt of the initial e-mail, the requisitioning-usercan share the accompanying template with other users by forwarding themthe initial e-mail. If these other users decide to create a reply e-mailwith the template from this initial e-mail, the server will be able todistinguish these additional reply e-mails from the originalrequisitioning-user's reply e-mail by recognizing the e-mail address ofthe user sending the reply e-mail. Since clicking the reply button onthe e-mail application by the other users would undesirably result in areply e-mail message being addressed to the requisitioning-user thatforwarded the template (instead of correctly addressing the reply e-mailmessage to the system server e-mail address), these other userspreferably click on a link in the received template that is configuredto result in the creation of a reply e-mail message that is addressed tothe system server e-mail address.

At a step 312, the requisitioning-user sends the reply messagecontaining the template to the server. FIG. 4B illustrates an exemplaryembodiment of the requisitioning-user 402 sending a reply e-mail 414containing the requisition template to the server 404 in accordance withthe principles of the present invention. The requisitioning-user 402preferably sends the reply e-mail 414 from his or her e-mail account 412using an e-mail program on computer 408.

At a step 314, the server receives and reads the reply e-mail. Asmentioned above, the reply e-mail is preferably addressed to a specifice-mail address accessible by the server so that the server canautomatically parse the reply e-mail once it is delivered. The server isconfigured to determine the identity, and therefore the associated userinformation, of the requisitioning-user based on the e-mail address fromwhich the reply e-mail was transmitted.

At a step 316, in processing the reply e-mail, the system can apply aset of intelligent defaults based on its identification of therequisitioning-user and the requested items in the template. Suchdefaults can include, but are not limited to, commodity information ofthe items, suppliers of the items, shipping address of the user, and thebilling account information of the user. The server stores therequisition information from the reply message, such as the quantity ofeach item requested and the identity of the associatedrequisitioning-user (and possibly default information), preferablyassociating each requisition with the requisitioning-user based on thee-, mail address from which the reply message was sent. The server canthen use this information, along with user information stored on theserver (such as the requisitioning-user's authority level) in order todetermine whether or not it is necessary to obtain approval from anothermember of the organization (such as another user with a higher authoritylevel) before completing the requisition.

At a step 318, the server 404 can send the user 402 a confirmatione-mail to inform the requisitioning-user that his or her reply e-mail414 was received by the server 404 and is being processed. Theconfirmation message can include a copy of the reply template, showingthe requested items and the corresponding quantities. The confirmationmessage may alternatively provides an error notification indicating thatthe server could not process the requisitioning-user's request for somereason. This confirmation e-mail is useful in providing therequisitioning-user with information about the status of his or herrequisition. It can also serve as a security procedure. For example, ifa first employee uses a second employee's e-mail account toinappropriately requisition items, the confirmation e-mail will be sentto the second employee's e-mail address, thereby notifying the secondemployee of this inappropriate requisition.

At a step 320, the server can perform a requisition approval process ifnecessary. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary embodiment ofincorporating an approval process 600 into the e-mail requisitioningsystem of the present invention. At a step 602, the server determineswhether or not any approvals are necessary in order to proceed withordering the requested item(s). If no approvals are necessary, then theserver simply orders the requested item(s) from the supplier(s) at astep 616. Ordering the item(s) can involve automatically generating apurchase order including the item(s) and sending the purchase orderelectronically to the supplier(s).

If approvals are necessary, then the server proceeds to a step 604 whereit sends a message requesting approval of the requisition to theappropriate users (approving-users). This approval request messagepreferably includes information regarding the requisition, such as theidentity of the user making the request, the items, and the associatedprice. The approval request message can also include an indication ofwhether or not a certain requisition exceeds a particular budget,whether that budget pertains to a specific user or to a specificdepartment in which the user works.

Upon receiving the approval request message, the approving-user can makea decision about whether to approve the requisition. The approving-usercan then provide this decision to the server. It is contemplated thatthis decision can be provided to the server in a variety of ways. In oneembodiment, the approving-user can send a reply e-mail to the serverindicating approval or disapproval of the requisition. For example, thisdecision can be indicated by marking certain predetermined fields in thereply e-mail (such as checking a box that is labeled “Approve”) or byentering certain terms in the reply e-mail that the server is configuredto parse out and associate with either approval or rejection.Additionally or alternatively, the approving-user can provide his or herdecision by using a web browser to log into the server, view therequisition, and select either an approval or rejection option online.At a step 606, the server receives some form of approval decision froman approving-user.

At a step 608, the server updates the status of the requisition approvalbased on any decisions it has received. In other words, the server keepstrack of any decisions that it is waiting for and any decisions that ithas received. This approval status information can be made available toappropriate users, such as the requisitioning-user.

At a step 610, the server determines whether or not the requisition hasbeen rejected. If the requisition has been rejected, then the serverproceeds to a step 612, where it notifies the requisitioning-user of therejection, such as by e-mail, and abstains from ordering the requesteditem(s) from the supplier(s). If the requisition has not been rejected,the server then proceeds to a step 614 where it determines whether ornot all of the necessary approvals have been received. If all of thenecessary approvals have been received, then the server orders therequested item(s) from the supplier(s) at a step 616 as previouslydiscussed. If all of the necessary approvals have not yet been received,then the server awaits receipt of the approval decision from theapproving-user(s) back at the step 606. As indicated by the dotted line,the server may additionally send an another approval request message atthe step 604 in order to remind the approving-user(s) that his or herdecision is still required.

In the situation where approvals are required from multiple users, it iscontemplated that in addition, or as an alternative, to sending approvalrequest messages to all of these users in parallel fashion, the servercan build an approval path where approval decisions for multiple usersare requested and obtained in serial fashion. For example, if approvalis necessary from a supervisor, a manager, and a vice-president, it ispossible to leave the manager and vice-president out of the processuntil their involvement is absolutely necessary. Accordingly, the serverwould initially send an approval request message only to the supervisor.Once the server receives approval from the supervisor, it would thensend an approval request message to the manager. Upon receipt ofapproval from the manager, the server would finally send an approvalrequest message to the vice-president. In this fashion, the higher levelemployees are not burdened with the approval process until theappropriate lower level employees have already approved the requisition.However, in certain circumstances where an expedited approval process isdesired, a parallel approval process can be employed, whereby theapproval requests are sent to all of the necessary personnel at once.

Referring back to FIG. 3, once the server receives the final necessaryapproval, it generate the appropriate purchase order(s), and send thepurchase order(s) to the appropriate supplier(s). A purchase orderpreferably identifies the requested items along with the desiredquantity. Certain default information can be included as well. A recordof the purchase order can be stored on the server for subsequent accessand review by an appropriate user.

In a preferred embodiment, the requisitioning-user can access the serverand view the status of his or her requisition to see how far along it isin the approval process. For example, the requisitioning-user can findout whose approval is still required (i.e., who is holding up theprocess). The requisitioning-user can obtain this access in a variety ofways. The user can view the requisition status by opening his or herbrowser to a predetermined web site and entering the appropriate logininformation. Additionally or alternatively, the confirmation e-maildiscussed above can include a link that, when clicked, opens the browserand brings the requisitioning-user directly to the status information onthe server.

The term “user” is applied in a variety of situations discussed aboveand can be interpreted to apply to several different types of peoplethat use the program of the present invention and have different andsometimes overlapping roles, responsibilities and capabilities. Theserver is configured to recognize and apply these different andoverlapping roles, responsibilities and capabilities in enabling theusers to perform certain operations, such as the operations discussedabove. Different operations can have different informationalrequirements by the server. For example, the server must obtain thee-mail address of a requisitioning-user so that it knows where to sendthe initial e-mail and so that it can identify from whom it is receivingthe reply e-mail. For an administrative user (i.e., a user that will beenabled to perform certain administrative operations discussed above),the server only requires information that is sufficient to verify theidentity of the administrative user, such as a login ID and a password.It is contemplated that the server may also require an authority levelfor both a requisitioning-user and an administrative user in order todetermine the necessary approvals and what administrative operations maybe performed. It is also contemplated that these roles can overlap asmentioned above. An administrative user, such as a supervisor, may alsobe registered with the server to act as a requisitioning-user. Such auser would be able requisition items using his or her e-mail address, aswell as perform certain administrative functions. Other users may havemore limited and restricted roles.

The present invention has been described in terms of specificembodiments incorporating details to facilitate the understanding ofprinciples of construction and operation of the invention. Suchreference herein to specific embodiments and details thereof is notintended to limit the scope of the claims appended hereto. It will bereadily apparent to one skilled in the art that other variousmodifications may be made in the embodiment chosen for illustrationwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as definedby the claims.

1. A method of enabling the requisitioning of items over a network, the network connected to a server, thereby allowing communication between the server and a generating-user, a requisitioning-user, and an initiating-user, the method comprising the steps of: the server generating a requisition template in response to input received from the generating-user; and the server sending an initial e-mail message to the requisitioning-user's e-mail address in response to direction received from the initiating-user, the initial e-mail message including the requisition template, wherein the initial e-mail message is configured to result in the creation of a reply e-mail message in response to the requisitioning-user selecting to reply to the initial e-mail message from the e-mail application that is accessing the initial e-mail message, the reply e-mail message including the requisition template.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the requisition template comprises one or more indicium, each indicium being configured to represent an item that can be requisitioned by the requisitioning-user and having its own associated quantity field, the quantity field representing the quantity of the associated item that is desired by the requisitioning-user.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the input received from the generating-user is a selection of the one or more indicium to be included in the requisition template.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the quantity field is configured to be set to a desired value by the requisitioning-user, the desired value being different from the original value of the quantity field at the time the initial e-mail message was received by the requesting-user, and the requisition template in the reply e-mail message is configured to include the desired value in the quantity field.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the quantity field is configured to be set to a desired value by the requisitioning-user while the requisition template is in the body of the reply e-mail message.
 6. The method of claim 2, further comprising: the server receiving the reply e-mail message from the requisitioning-user's e-mail address; the server processing the reply e-mail message, wherein the server determines the identity and the quantity of any items desired by the requisitioning-user based on a reading of the associated quantity fields in the requisition template of the reply e-mail message, the server determines the requisitioning-user's e-mail address from which the reply e-mail message was sent, and the server determines default information based on at least one of the group consisting of the identity of any of the desired items, the quantity of any of the desired items, and the requisitioning-user's e-mail address; and the server associating the requisitioning-user's e-mail address with the identity and the quantity of any items desired by the requisitioning-user.
 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the server sending a confirmation e-mail message to the requisitioning-user's e-mail address in response to receiving the reply e-mail message from the requisitioning-user, the confirmation e-mail message containing information indicating the identity and the quantity of any items desired by the requisitioning-user based on the reading of the associated quantity fields in the requisition template of the reply e-mail message.
 8. The method of claim 6, further comprising: the server determining whether it is necessary to perform an approval process based on at least one of the group consisting of the requisitioning-user's e-mail address, the identity of any items desired by the requisitioning-user, and the quantity of any items desired by the requisitioning-user; and the server performing the approval process if the server determines that it is necessary.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the approval process comprises: the server sending an approval-request e-mail message to an approving-user's e-mail address, wherein the approving-user is connected to the server through the network, and the approval-request e-mail message provides notification of the identity and the quantity of an item desired by the requisitioning-user and requests approval for the ordering of the quantity of the item; and the server receiving an approval-decision from the approving-user.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the approval process further comprises the server sending a rejection notification message to the requisitioning-user's e-mail address if the approval-decision received from the approving-user is a rejection.
 11. A method of enabling the requisitioning of items over a network, the network connected to a server, thereby allowing communication between the server and a generating-user, a requisitioning-user, and an initiating-user, the method comprising the steps of: the server generating a requisition template in response to input received from the generating-user; the server sending an initial e-mail message to the requisitioning-user's e-mail address in response to direction received from the initiating-user, the initial e-mail message including the requisition template; the requisitioning-user receiving the initial e-mail message at the requisitioning-user's e-mail address; the requisitioning-user accessing the initial e-mail message using an e-mail application; the requisitioning-user selecting to reply to the initial e-mail message from the e-mail application; and the e-mail application creating a reply e-mail message in response to the requisitioning-users selection to reply, wherein the reply e-mail message includes the requisition template.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the requisition template comprises one or more indicium, each indicium being configured to represent an item that can be requisitioned by the requisitioning-user and having its own associated quantity field, the quantity field representing the quantity of the associated item that is desired by the requisitioning-user.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the input received from the generating-user is a selection of the one or more indicium to be included in the requisition template.
 14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the requisitioning-user setting the quantity field to a desired value, the desired value being different from the original value of the quantity field at the time the initial e-mail message was received by the requesting-user, wherein the requisition template in the reply e-mail message is configured to include the desired value in the quantity field.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the requisitioning-user sets the quantity field to a desired value while the requisition template is in the body of the reply e-mail message.
 16. The method of claim 12, further comprising: the requisitioning-user sending the reply e-mail message to the server from the requisitioning-user's e-mail address; the server receiving the reply e-mail message from the requisitioning-user; the server processing the reply e-mail message, wherein the server determines the identity and the quantity of any items desired by the requisitioning-user based on a reading of the associated quantity fields in the requisition template of the reply e-mail message, the server determines the requisitioning-user's e-mail address from which the reply e-mail message was sent, and the server determines default information based on at least one of the group consisting of the identity of any of the desired items, the quantity of any of the desired items, and the requisitioning-user's e-mail address; and the server associating the requisitioning-user's e-mail address with the identity and the quantity of any items desired by the requisitioning-user.
 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the server sending a confirmation e-mail message to the requisitioning-user's e-mail address in response to receiving the reply e-mail message from the requisitioning-user, the confirmation e-mail message containing information indicating the identity and the quantity of any items desired by the requisitioning-user based on the reading of the associated quantity fields in the requisition template of the reply e-mail message.
 18. The method of claim 16, further comprising: the server determining whether it is necessary to perform an approval process based on at least one of the group consisting of the requisitioning-user's e-mail address, the identity of any items desired by the requisitioning-user, and the quantity of any items desired by the requisitioning-user; and the server performing the approval process if the server determines that it is necessary.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the approval process comprises: the server sending an approval-request e-mail message to an approving-user via the approving-user's e-mail address, wherein the approving-user is connected to the server through the network, and the approval-request e-mail message provides notification of the identity and the quantity of an item desired by the requisitioning-user and requests approval for the ordering of the quantity of the item; the approving-user receiving the approval-request e-mail message at the approving-user's e-mail address; the approving-user providing the server with an approval-decision over the network; and the server receiving the approval-decision.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the approval process further comprises the server sending a rejection notification message to the requisitioning-user's e-mail address if the approval-decision received from the approving-user is a rejection.
 21. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for enabling the requisitioning of items over a network, the network connected to the machine, thereby allowing communication between the machine and a generating-user, a requisitioning-user and an initiating-user, the method comprising: the machine generating a requisition template in response to input received from the generating-user; and the machine sending an initial e-mail message to the requisitioning-user's e-mail address in response to direction received from the initiating-user, the initial e-mail message including the requisition template, wherein the initial e-mail message is configured to result in the creation of a reply e-mail message in response to the requisitioning-user selecting to reply to the initial e-mail message from the e-mail application that is accessing the initial e-mail message, the reply e-mail message including the requisition template.
 22. The device of claim 21, wherein the requisition template comprises one or more indicium, each indicium being configured to represent an item that can be requisitioned by the requisitioning-user and having its own associated quantity field, the quantity field representing the quantity of the associated item that is desired by the requisitioning-user.
 23. The device of claim 22, wherein the input received from the generating-user is a selection of the one or more indicium to be included in the requisition template.
 24. The device of claim 22, wherein the quantity field is configured to be set to a desired value by the requisitioning-user, the desired value being different from the original value of the quantity field at the time the initial e-mail message was received by the requesting-user, and the requisition template in the reply e-mail message is configured to include the desired value in the quantity field.
 25. The device of claim 24, wherein the quantity field is configured to be set to a desired value by the requisitioning-user while the requisition template is in the body of the reply e-mail message.
 26. The device of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises: the machine receiving the reply e-mail message from the requisitioning-user's e-mail address; the machine processing the reply e-mail message, wherein the machine determines the identity and the quantity of any items desired by the requisitioning-user based on a reading of the associated quantity fields in the requisition template of the reply e-mail message, the machine determines the requisitioning-user's e-mail address from which the reply e-mail message was sent, and the machine determines default information based on at least one of the group consisting of the identity of any of the desired items, the quantity of any of the desired items, and the requisitioning-user's e-mail address; and the machine associating the requisitioning-user's e-mail address with the identity and the quantity of any items desired by the requisitioning-user.
 27. The device of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises the machine sending a confirmation e-mail message to the requisitioning-user's e-mail address in response to receiving the reply e-mail message from the requisitioning-user, the confirmation e-mail message containing information indicating the identity and the quantity of any items desired by the requisitioning-user based on the reading of the associated quantity fields in the requisition template of the reply e-mail message.
 28. The device of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises: the machine determining whether it is necessary to perform an approval process based on at least one of the group consisting of the requisitioning-user's e-mail address, the identity of any items desired by the requisitioning-user, and the quantity of any items desired by the requisitioning-user; and the machine performing the approval process if the machine determines that it is necessary.
 29. The device of claim 28, wherein the approval process comprises: the machine sending an approval-request e-mail message to an approving-user's e-mail address, wherein the approving-user is connected to the machine through the network, and the approval-request e-mail message provides notification of the identity and the quantity of an item desired by the requisitioning-user and requests approval for the ordering of the quantity of the item; and the machine receiving an approval-decision from the approving-user.
 30. The device of claim 29, wherein the approval process further comprises the machine sending a rejection notification message to the requisitioning-user's e-mail address if the approval-decision received from the approving-user is a rejection.
 31. A method for requisitioning items over a network, the method comprising the steps of: a requisitioning-user receiving an initial e-mail message at the requisitioning-user's e-mail address, the initial e-mail message including a requisition template, wherein the initial e-mail message is configured to result in the creation of a reply e-mail message in response to the requisitioning-user selecting to reply to the initial e-mail message from an e-mail application that is accessing the initial e-mail message, the reply e-mail message including the requisition template; the requisitioning-user accessing the initial e-mail message using an e-mail application; the requisitioning-user selecting to reply to the initial e-mail message from the e-mail application; and the e-mail application creating a reply e-mail message in response to the requisitioning-users selection to reply, wherein the reply e-mail message includes the requisition template.
 32. The method of claim 31, wherein the requisition template comprises one or more indicium, each indicium being configured to represent an item that can be requisitioned by the requisitioning-user and having its own associated quantity field, the quantity field representing the quantity of the associated item that is desired by the requisitioning-user.
 33. The method of claim 32, wherein the quantity field is configured to be set to a desired value by the requisitioning-user, the desired value being different from the original value of the quantity field at the time the initial e-mail message was received by the requesting-user, and the requisition template in the reply e-mail message is configured to include the desired value in the quantity field. 